1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a carrier for positioning a disk drive in a drive bay to interface the disk drive with a host computer, and more specifically, to a latch apparatus for securing a carrier in, or removing a carrier from, a drive bay.
2. Background of the Related Art
Hard disk drives generally include a data storage disk secured within a housing that may be coupled to a carrier, sometimes referred to as a tray, which is adapted to be received and secured in a drive bay to interface with a host computer. For example, a generally circular data storage disk is rotatably coupled within the housing in a position to rotate relative to the housing and about a generally vertical axis. A disk reader head is also movably coupled within the housing to controllably track across the rotatable data storage disk to retrieve data stored on the disk, or to retrievably write data to the disk.
A plurality of hard disk drives may be arranged within an array of bays within a chassis. This configuration enables a host computer to interface with numerous hard disk drives, each of which is replaceable independently of the others. Each drive bay may include a receiving port for electronically docking the hard disk drive secured within that bay. For example, a hard disk drive interface plug may be disposed at a leading end of each hard disk drive, and the interface plug may plug into a mating plug positioned within the host system and at the end of the bay to electronically couple the hard disk drive to the host computer.
Data storage density may be improved using compact hard disk drive carriers that can be efficiently installed within the bays of the host system along side other hard disk drive carriers. The host computer may be designed to continue to operate and to communicate with a plurality of hard disk drives as an individual hard disk drive carrier is removed or “hot swapped” from a drive bay or as a replacement hard disk drive carrier is installed within the vacant bay to interface with the host computer.
A hard disk drive carrier may be secured to a hard disk drive housing and inserted into a drive bay, for example, with an interface plug at the leading end of the hard disk drive being inserted into the mouth of the bay first. The hard disk drive carrier may then be displaced into the bay to an interfaced position where the interface plug of the hard disk drive is docked with a mating plug of the host system. The hard disk drive carrier should secure the hard disk drive in the interfaced position using a latch apparatus to prevent the hard disk drive carrier from being inadvertently displaced from the interfaced position during use of the hard disk drive. The motor that rotates the hard disk or the actuator that positions the head to read from the hard disk or write to the hard disk typically cause vibrations that can result in the hard disk drive becoming dislodged from the interfaced position or disconnected from the host system in the absence of the latch apparatus.